The Best of the Worst
by Jak243
Summary: Cleo is still trying to find her way out of her living hell in the castle that was once her home. What happens however when she finds that there is more at her makeshift prison than she thought. Follow Cleo, Magnus, and King Gaius as they search for their freedom, for themselves, and for power. Based off of Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
1. Chapter 1

Cleo had no desire to go sit and eat breakfast with the family that had taken everything from her but she knew she had no choice. After Magnus' return from the road she hadn't seen him much, not that she had seen him much before. Their agreement seemed to be working out he walked in to the room with her and later snuck out. She didn't much care that he didn't want to spend the night with her it left her more time to study her books and learn as much about the stories and legends regarding her ring.

"Well good morning, _princess" _

Cleo was startled out of her daze by the whisper of a man that held her future in his hands. Just like his son the king had dark hair and dark eyes. However that's where she believed the similarities ended. Though Magnus had tried several times to convince her that he would grow up to be just like his father he had proven time and time again that he had a heart, as much as she hated it. He had defended her in Limeros when a man tried to attack them putting himself in harm's way in the process. He had also left her untouched on the night of their wedding though he had been just as trapped in the room as her.

"King Gaius, good morning to you as well." She knew she must have sounded exasperated having to talk to him.

"And where is my son this morning? It seems that the two of you are never with the other. Now if you ask me that is no way for a pair of newlyweds to act." Cleo wasn't fooled. She knew full well that he understood there was no love in the marriage she shared with his son. He simply had these talks to toy with her to remind her that her marriage would always be nothing more than a business deal, a way to calm the crowds of Auranos.

"I don't exactly know but I'm sure whatever he is doing is much more important than entertaining me." Cleo gave him a sly smile and walked to her seat at the table. She sat there silently for a couple more minutes before Magnus walked to sit on her right side next to his father who sat at the head of the table.

"Good morning Father" Magnus gave his father a nod and nonchalant look while grabbing for a piece of bread.

"Good morning Magnus. I would expect you first words this morning however to be to your new wife." King Gaius eyed his son suspiciously. "Is there a reason that you two are ignoring each other?"

Magnus set about putting jam on his bread as if his father's question never even passed his lips. Cleo wished she still had the courage to stand up to the King the way his son was. However, after their marriage ceremony, Gaius showed her that he had no problem handling her and that she was kept around for his amusement.

The King still looked at his son waiting for an answer to his question. When one still wasn't given the King rose from his chair and started the walk towards them, Cleo was sure that he would strike his son or worse kill him dead. The shock on both their faces was clear as a day in Auranos when Cleo felt the cold chill of the tip of a dagger at her throat.


	2. Authors Note

Authors Note:

So I probably should have done this on the first chapter but I forgot to so here we are. First off I would like to say that my name is Jade and I enjoy reading books and the fanfics on this site. The reason I decided to write this fanfic is because I found out that no one had written one for Falling Kingdoms. When I found this out I was appalled because it had just become my new obsession. So I hope you guys enjoy this story and that you guys give me feedback whether its good or constructive. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2

The king knew what he was doing but he couldn't find a good reason to stop. The dagger he held in his hand was cold however the princess he held close to his body was warm and shaking with the fear he had instilled in her. He had to admit that the thought of her pressed up against his person the way she was, was enticing. The first time he had met the little brat was when she was younger and even then he knew that she would grow up to be beautiful. When he first captured her in his newly obtained castle he had even thought of forcing himself on her but later decided it would be better that he marry her off to his son. He could hear her breath quicken as he started to press the dagger harder against her throat. He didn't know if his son had simply forgotten that he was a king before he was a father but he would certainly not let his son forget it this time.

"Son I would advise you to answer my question before your very beautiful wife has a nice long scar across her throat." Gaius could see Cleo silently pleading with Magnus to answer his question.

"Father I don't think it would be good if the public found that their beloved princess has been killed by their new king." Magnus said to his father without turning around. Gaius didn't know what had gotten into his son but he knew that he didn't like it and that it needed to stop soon. "And to answer your question father the reason I am ignoring her is because I have no need to talk to her in the castle. I didn't think that I had to put on a show in my own home, now you should leave her alone."

Gaius considered his sons words and pulled the dagger away from the princess throat before turning and heading towards the corridor. Before he left Gaius turned and looked back at his son and his wife once more in the dining area. Cleo was kneeled down on the floor clutching her throat and chest trying to catch her breath, Magnus stood in front of her but never made a move to touch her.

"Just remember son that just as much as she is disposable so are you." Gaius turned to finally leave the dining area making sure that his son understood that he was nothing but a filler for now because soon he would be the only ruler Mytica would need.

Authors Note:

So I know these last couple of chapters have been short but I promise they will be getting longer and you will also get a chapter in Magnus's point of view probably the next one. I decided that I'm going to try to update at _least_ twice a week but I will probably do more.


	4. Chapter 3

Magnus stood there and continued to look at his father walk away. Magnus had stopped trusting his father after Aron let it spill that his father had hired him to kill his mother. Magnus couldn't believe that before all of this he had aspired to be like his father. Magnus looked down at the girl kneeling before him with her hand to her heart. He hadn't known what to do at first when his father had grabbed Cleo it had been surprising for him. Though Magnus knew that his father had no problem with violence against women Cleo hadn't done anything to provoke him. Cleo had stared at him for several seconds as if begging him to do something when his father had grabbed her. Magnus kneeled down in front of the girl that his family was holding hostage in the castle and tried to make her look at him. Magnus pulled her hand away from her chest and put his other under her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Are you all right?" Magnus tried to search her eyes but she kept looking away. "Please Cleo I need to know that you're okay."

Cleo suddenly looked up at him with a wild look in her eyes and the glistening with unshed tears. "Why the hell would it matter to you, do you do this to me only to break me down more?"

Cleo yanked her chin out of his hand and then stood with her hand still in his. Magnus didn't want to let go, he didn't want the girl to walk away think that he wanted any of this to happen to her. Magnus didn't hate the girl she was kind and seemed level headed and much stronger in these situations than he would ever be. She had tried to start conversations with him since he had come back from the mountains but he had continued to ignore her. One day she had finally had enough and had told him she wouldn't be trying to talk to him anymore since he wanted to be so rude. He had regretted his decision to ignore her but with all that was on his mind and his new revelations about his father he didn't have time to be civil with the princess.

"Cleo I can promise you that I had no idea that he would react like that to my behavior." He tried to look into her eyes again but she kept looking away. Though he couldn't see her eyes he knew what he would probably find. Distrust. Fear. Longing. Distrust of him and the words he was saying to her. Fear of what could happen next if he or anyone decided to go against the King. A longing for the life she used to have and the people that now all have their severed heads upon stakes or bodies dumped in forgotten places.

"Cleo please come with me to the library so we can talk. That's all I want to do, just talk." She finally looked at him seemingly searching his eyes the same way that he was only moments ago. He didn't know what she would see, if she would she would just see the eyes of the man that killed her first love or a man trying to help her now. Finally she seemed to come to a conclusion and pulled her hand from his.

"Fine we can go talk in the library."

Cleo sat across form Magnus in the library with her hands in her lap. She had no idea why the boy had asked her to go to the library with him. She had never seen him so kind especially towards her and now it was starting to unnerve her the way he sat there and just continued to stare at her twiddling his thumbs as if he didn't know what to say. Cleo didn't think that she had ever seen the prince nervous except for when he made his fist kill, Theon. Now though she didn't think she could really recall a time when he looked nervous.

"What is it that you want Magnus? I would like to just go back to my chambers and be by myself for now." She didn't want to spend all of her time sitting in the library having a starring contest with the prince. And to be perfectly honest she just wanted to cry. Though on the outside it would seem that she was calming down but she could still feel the cold tip of that dagger on her throat.

"I'm sorry I was simply thinking about a couple of things. Are you feeling any better do you have cuts that we should have somebody tend to?"

"Magnus please don't act as if you are my friend we both know that you find me a nuisance. I find your fake sympathy unwanted and a little disturbing."

Cleo was trying to be as straight forward as possible. If she thought too much on the incident that had just occurred she would burst into tears she knew it. She had to admit to herself that she had been quite scared the last couple of times her life had been in danger but now she wanted to live so she could finish this. All of a sudden Cleo heard a hearty chuckle come from the man across from her. If Cleo had found his kindness disturbing she found his laugh downright terrifying.

"Cleo you honestly find my sympathy _disturbing_? I don't think that has ever been said before, then again I guess you are one for surprises. I didn't mean to scare you I just need to know that my new ally was okay."

"New ally? When did I become anything more than a prisoner in this castle, and ally to what?"

"Though it is true that you are a prisoner to my family I know that you can help me with what I need to do."

"And what exactly is it that you need to do?" Cleo didn't know why she was indulging him but she was quite curious.

"Well I need to kill my father."

Authors Note:

So like most high schoolers I have finals coming up so I have a lot of studying to do, so unfortunately I might not be able to update until this weekend. I really hope that you enjoy the story and that you give me your feedback.


	5. Chapter 4

Authors Note:

I'm sorry for not updating earlier, I don't know if this was happening to anyone else but the website was working for me and my mom decided that we need an impromptu trip to go see my cousins. I am back now and do plan on getting back on the update schedule that I promised before.

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"You're doing what?" Cleo couldn't believe her hears.

She had always thought that Magnus aspired to be his father in every way. Though deep down inside she had hoped that he would see his father for what he really was she knew it was only that, hope. She had seen him act somewhat kindly towards her in Limeros, but since then he had done nothing but be rude and ignore her. Never in the thousand years did she think in secret that he wanted to kill his father.

"I plan on killing father, maybe not now but at some point in the future."

The way he said everything so nonchalant made her quiver in her chair. She loathed the King more than anyone but the thought that a son could think up so simply a plan to kill his father unnerved her. If he was willing to kill his father she didn't see her future looking to bright.

"Why now? Why did you finally decide to stop him after all he's done to the people of Mytica?" Cleo couldn't understand why now was the best time to do this. She didn't understand why he stood by while his father ravaged the land they both called home and destroyed her home and family.

"New information has come to light and I think that now is the best time to take him off the throne."

"What is this new information?" Cleo wanted to know why he was being so vague about everything.

"It's not important."

"No, you know what, it is important. I want to know why you think this new information is more important that what's been going on in Mytica. Why was the burning of whole villages, all the killing, and the destruction of our land less important than whatever yo just found out?" Cleo yelled and stood up from her chair to walk away.

"He had Aron kill my mother."

Cleo again didn't think she had heard him right. She slowly turned around and walked slowly back to her seat. The King was a man that didn't have a problem killing people but she didn't think that he would kill his own wife.

"And how do you know this?"

"Aron told me before I stuck a sword through his chest and killed him in the mountains."

Cleo hadn't seen Aron in a couple of days but she certainly wasn't complaining. Her first thought hadn't been that he was dead; she had just thought that maybe he had finally gotten the message and had left her alone. Hearing now that he was dead she couldn't find in herself to care or to even feel sorry for him.

"So he just told you everything. Why would he do that, he must have known that you wouldn't be too happy to hear that he killed your mother?"

"He didn't have to tell me. He pulled a dagger on me and it resembled the one that was found in my mother, the one they said was taken by that rebel boy. He couldn't very well lie to me when the proof was in his hands." Magnus had a faraway look in his eyes as if he was remembering the very moment he saw that dagger in Aron's hand.

"So now that _you've_ been hurt in all of this you want to fight back. You are so vain. I didn't think that I could dislike you anymore than I already did." Cleo couldn't believe how selfish he was being. Cleo felt sorry for him she knew what it meant to lose a parent but why was his anymore important than the others that fell to Kings sword. She had seen the starving children on the streets trying to find anything that would help them survive, anything that would lessen their pain. Why was their suffering less than his?

Cleo then realized she had asked why so many times in this conversation with him. She didn't understand the way he thought, she didn't understand the way that he decided to do things, and she didn't understand why he decided to do things. She realized she didn't understand him.

"Cleo…"

"Magnus I don't want to help you. Everything you just told me was selfish, but I know that my people need my help and I know that I can't let your father continue his reign over this land. I will help you, but not because of what happened to your mother but because my kingdom is in peril and so is the rest of Mytica."

"I understand, but then you need to understand that _I am_ doing this because of what happened to my mother. Also understand that there has been no agreement made for what is to happen after my father has been disposed, do not assume that this throne will be yours after all of this." Cleo knew that he wouldn't give up her throne to her but she wasn't planning on letting him have it anyway.

"Understood"

"Good. I hope to see you tonight at dinner and make sure to dress nice." Magnus said as he stood to leave.

"I'll be sure to. Maybe I'll ask your sister for assistance, I heard that she will be joining us tonight I'm sure she knows just what you like."

Cleo saw Magnus go rigid as he stopped halfway to the door.

"Cleo I understand that you think that you are funny but you have to understand that I don't need you to kill my father I'm simply humoring you. Now I have yet to kill a woman but if you keep making those types of jokes I will have no other choice than to dispose of you as well."

Magnus turned on his heels and walked out the large wooden doors in to the corridor leaving Cleo with a chill in her bones that she had only felt from the man they were trying to kill.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm asking that if you guys see any mistakes you let me know. I'm trying to read these over very carefully but you never know.


	6. Chapter 5

Sorry it took so long for this chapter I didn't know that I was going to have to do a million things at my church this week. I'm going to do a double upload tomorrow because you guys are so patient with me. Thanks for continuing to read.

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Cleo headed straight back to her room after the conversation with Magnus. She still couldn't fully comprehend the conversation with him and what it all meant to her other plans. All she wanted was to have her throne back and see Gauis suffer for everything that he had done to her and to the rest of the people in Mytica.

"Cleo I haven't seen you all day, how are you?"

Cleo turned at the sound of Lucia's voice. Cleo had formally met the girl not too long ago after she came out of her coma. Cleo didn't dislike the girl but she knew she was a threat to her future plans and need to be subdued.

"Good evening Lucia, I'm doing fine thank you for asking. Your bother kept me holed up in the library most of this afternoon."

"He did now. What could the two of possibly be doing in the library all afternoon?"

Cleo wasn't certain but she was sure that she heard venom in Lucia voice. Cleo had heard rumors that Lucia and Magnus had a special type of relationship. She had never seen absolute proof of this but she could see something was going on between the two of them.

"Well I think that's our business but nothing irreverent, I promise. Was there something that you needed?" Lucia looked at Cleo suspiciously before coming to some sort of a conclusion.

"No nothing important, simply making sure that you will be joining us for dinner tonight."

"Well I wouldn't miss it and I don't think that your father would allow me to either."

"Well good, I was tired of being the only girl sitting at our dinners. The men fancy themselves too much and it simply becomes a pissing contest at the end of the night."

"That doesn't sound like Magnus."

"Well I guess some know him better than others." Lucia said with a smirk on her face. Cleo hadn't disliked this girl before this conversation but she wasn't sure she wouldn't sneak into her room and put a pillow over her face. She hated the way she smirked after she mentioned anything about Magnus as if there was some inside joke between the two of them. Had Magnus been talking to his sister about her?

"I think I'll go freshen up before it is time to head dinner, I'll see you there Lucia."

"See you there Cleo"

* * *

Cleo went to her rooms and changed for the dinner. She wasn't sure why everyone seemed to be looking forward to this dinner. This family was complicate, she was sure they were always scheming against the other. Cleo could never imagine her family doing anything like that, always trying to get ahead. If you couldn't trust your family who could you trust?

Cleo was finishing getting ready when she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

"Magnus, your extraordinarily devoted husband." Cleo couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips and went to open the door to her new room.

"Hello Magnus, I didn't know that you had taken up the job of a jester. I would much appreciate it if next time my extraordinarily devoted husband tells me before he changes professions." Cleo said as she saw Magnus leaning on her door frame with a smirk on his face. He was in all senses unpredictable. One second he would threaten to kill me for making jokes the next he is all smiles making jokes at me. She didn't know if she liked that he had two sides, both the complete opposite of the other.

"I promise next time I will be sure to tell you. Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yes I'm ready. Is there a reason that you are here?"

"Yes, I thought perhaps we could walk together to dinner. I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier in library, threating you wasn't the best course of action and isn't the way to start our partnership."

"I don't believe that, you're not one to apologize Magnus."

Magnus looked at Cleo and pushed his way in to her room. Cleo turned around and looked at Magnus as he sat on her loveseat in the center of the room.

"Cleo what do you think I would gain from lying to you about an apology? Do you really think that I'm that conniving?"

"I don't know what exactly you would gain from this but I do think that you have ulterior motives. You have never walked me to any of our other meals together and like I said earlier you don't apologize even if you have made a mistake."

"I promise I just wanted to walk together and I do want to extend a formal apology to you. I thought the best way to do that was to take a nice leisurely walk with you." Cleo eyed Magnus wondering how much of what he was saying was true. "I'm not going to trick you into a death trap if that's what your worried about."

"I wasn't worried about that until you said something."

Magnus let out a low chuckle and got up from the loveseat and made his way towards Cleo. He held her gaze and made the pit of her stomach feel like there were a million butterflies trying to escape. She didn't like that he made her feel this way, that she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as he continued to stare at her. After what felt like years Magnus finally made it in front of Cleo and held out his hand to her.

"Cleo, I just want to take a pleasant walk to dinner and possibly have a conversation with you along the way."

Cleo looked at his hand and went deep into thought about whether or not she should take his hand. The hand that killed her first love, the hands that pushed Gaius out of the way of that pillar, and the hands that could help her get her throne back. Finally Cleo decided that she had to put aside everything that had happened thus far, it was about the future now.

"Alright, I will walk with you to dinner but I still feel as if you have other motives."

"That's fine with me I'll just have to convince you that I have the best intentions."

Cleo looked at Magnus thoughtfully and placed her hand and her trust in Magnus.

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Thank you once again for reading this I honestly didn't think that this story was going to get any views so this means a lot. I'd love more reviews for this story even if you want to just say hi, I love hearing from you guys.


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